Friday the 29^th of May, we went on an excursion to Avignon. The highlight of the visit was the Popes’ Palace.

We took the train from Arles.

Here we are in front of the Popes’ Palace. Due to wars in Italy in the 14th century, the seat of the Catholic church moved to Avignon. Later, back in Italy, they elected a new pope. For a while, there were two popes at the same time, and even three when a third was elected in Pisa! At the time, the palace in Avignon was the largest papal residence. Six papal conclaves were held here.

This is a room that the popes used to meet with important people. At the time of the popes, there were no bare stone walls in the palace. They were originally covered with frescoes, most of which were destroyed during and after the Revolution.

This is the ceremonial dining hall that was used for large feasts. The pope sat alone at one end, and the more important the guest was, the closer he or she sat to the pope and the more food he or she was served.

Before feeding anything to the pope, his servants tested his food for poison by dipping shark teeth and precious gems in it. They thought it would make the food change color if it were poisoned. We found their methods dubious.

This is the main chapel, one of many chapels in the palace. Formal masses lasting up to twelve hours took place here. During and after the Revolution, many religious properties were confiscated, including this palace. This chapel was converted into a multi-story barracks for use by Napoleon’s troops.

During the Revolution, even statues got decapitated, as you can see here at the entrance to the chapel.

Some of our students, and our guide, stand in the Loggia, where the newly-elected pope would look down at his admirers and throw money out the window.

Our guide shows us pictures of the frescoes in the pope’s chambers. Unlike other parts of the palace, these frescoes were covered by Napoleon’s troops rather than destroyed. They were able to be restored. We were not allowed to take photos or even talk in the bedroom because the art is so sensitive to the environment.

After the visit to the palace, we had lunch at a restaurant called In Et Off. It was delicious.

We had chocolate mousse in jam jars.

Julie and I accidentally matched with our black dresses and colorful scarves.

After lunch, we split up to explore the town. Aileen took a group of us to see the famous Pont d’Avignon and Jardin des Doms.

There is a popular children’s song about this bridge. “Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse.” It’s really called le Pont Saint Bénezet, and was built and rebuilt many times between the 11th and 16th centuries. So here I am, dancing in front of the bridge!

We climbed up the hill to the Jardin des Doms to get a better view of the city.

Another view of the Popes’ Palace.

Then we walked back to the train station, passing the medieval city ramparts.

While I wait to go in to the office to use the faster Internet for updates on more excursions and visits, here is a fun link! It’s a map of how many kisses people give each other as greetings in different parts of France. In Arles, it’s three times!

Click here!

Last Tuesday (over a week ago already! Ack!) we had a Language Lunch. My group ate at Les 2 Suds, in the Espace Van Gogh.

Here, “cake” is a savory dish.

And tiramisu. Yum!

On Tuesday, we had a movie night at the Center. We watched “Intouchables” and “Le Dîner de cons.” I enjoy both of these movies, and I think the students did as well.

For Wednesday’s Language Lunch, my group ate at Mon Bar, in the Place du Forum.

A delicious caramel pear dessert:

On Wednesday afternoon, we went across the street to the Théâtre Antique. It’s a Roman theater that was built over 2000 years ago and is still used for performances!
We got to stand on the stage, then go up to the top of the seats. There used to be more columns forming the wall behind the stage, and the seating used to go higher.

Our amazing guide, Nathalie, explained the symbolism in the stone carvings and the names of all the parts of the structure. If you look closely, you can see fossils in the limestone. Many buildings in Arles are built out of limestone that comes from local quarries.

After the tour of the theater, Nathalie, had us try to guess how Romans would dress. We didn’t manage very well on our own!

One class talked about stereotypes about France, and then one student added a cat.

It has been so busy the past week that I am far behind in my updating. My internet connection has a hard time with all the photos. Stay tuned for updates about the Roman theater and our excursion to Avignon!